CIPD conference 2006: conference quotes

“Lots of HR people don’t have the confidence to go and speak to the chief executive. Successful HR directors have that confidence and the interpersonal skills. They know when to back off and what questions to ask.”

Vicky Wright, CIPD president

“You have to think about who the person is and what the issue is. I’m not stupid enough to talk to my CEO about payroll problems, because he’s not interested.”

Neil Roden, group HR director, Royal Bank of Scotland

“Employers have to accept that from time to time, union reps will be a pain in the arse.”

Jack Dromey, deputy general secretary, T&G union

“We had everything in place, but hadn’t promoted it. We were like a guy winking at a girl with his sunglasses on – he’s the only one who knows what he’s doing.”

Richard Ellis, head of CSR, Boots

“What HR directors and IT directors have in common is that they’re judged not on what they do, but on what people think they do – they’re only ever seen when things go wrong.”

David Taylor, author and visiting professor of leadership, Warwick Business School, University of Warwick